Appearance vs Reality
by stupique
Summary: If you thought Ryoma always seemed like a typical boy who didn't give a bloody damn about anything, you're wrong. Don't always assume that you know everything. Things may not be as it seems. Remember, Ryoma is a Pandora's Box. One-shot


**Appearance vs. Reality**

Okay, presenting to you, a new one-shot. I know I have been neglecting Life of Silence for quite awhile now. I'm so sorry! Exams are around the corner and I'm having a little trouble with the next chapter. I'll get my thinking sorted out soon so yepps. (:

This is a story on friendship. I had a hard time writing this as Ryoma isn't exactly a good character to work with. At some points, he's a little uncooperative. You see, Ryoma is not a person to openly thank someone at all. Lest show that he was grateful. So I decided to go about in this mild manner.

I hope you'll enjoy this!

**Disclaimer: POT characters do not belong to me. **

* * *

People always say you are only yourself when not in front of other people. But even when you isolate yourself from the entire world, cast your worthless soul into the raging hot fire, you can never truly explain yourself. How do you put characters into words? How do you start, with a capital letter, introduce a comma along the way and cut it off using a full stop. How do you say, the end. Sorry. Goodbye. How?

A person may smile and laugh in front of a crowd. But people never know how the person is feeling behind. You can't smash the skull into bits and pieces, extract the brain and dissect it. All you get in the end is a pile of flesh and a pool of blood.

Momoshiro always thought of Ryoma as a simple person who had only a few things to care about in his life. What did he care about? Having enough to eat, tennis, enough to drink, tennis, enough to sleep and tennis. Oh, not forgetting Karupin. He was that simple. Just like picking a random passage from the book and summarizing it into a single word.

In his case, it's being cut down to one term, 'Appearance versus Reality'.

Momoshiro may not look the most understanding person in the world, but he was surely the one who understood Ryoma the most. Somehow, he could just tell.

Ryoma was a holly hell difficult person to perceive and actually _**know**_. He was cool in the face of danger, little in words, controlling in temper, massive in hunger and cocky in the terms of traits.

Different people have their own ideal angle and perspective of things. You can hold a camera from the ground facing the sky, or right straight in the face.

But if you looked carefully enough, you could actually figure out little bits of his inner emotions. Momoshiro knew well enough and he would claim that there was not a single person in the whole world that could compare to Ryoma when it comes to being a Pandora's Box.

* * *

In the morning, he would come pick Ryoma up on his bicycle. Pressing the bell, Ryoma would immediately rush out, hair tousled, uniform messy, bag flying; slinging onto the bike and grasping Momoshiro's shoulders. Ryoma would greet him with a sheepish smile, his voice husky in the face of the morning sun, "Ohayoh sempai."

Reaching the school, fan girls would squeal with delight, making Ryoma dig his way through the crowd with a look of disgust. His face would flush a light shade of pink yet putting on a nonchalant look. He was disturbed but he didn't want to show it.

Upon stepping into the classroom, Tomoka will scream at the top of her lungs, causing Ryoma to cringe in fright. Shaking off his obvious fear, he would trudge to his seat and stare at the blackboard while ignoring Horio's attempts at annoying him. Ryoma doesn't voice it out, but he was clearly annoyed by the ranting of speech.

During lunch time, he would grab his jacket and make his way up to the rooftop, planning to take a short nap. He would roll over on his side, ignoring the rough stains scattered on the floor. The light shade of sun would reflect off his half tanned skin and his hand would reach out to cover his half-lidded eyes. A blessed smile would creep to his face and play on his lips.

* * *

Ryoma was very much still a young boy in many ways even though he would deny the fact with a scowl set upon his face. Unknown to him, his inner Pandora's Box has opened. The difference being that the only thing that escaped is called 'truth'.

* * *

When somebody mentioned how great Tezuka was, people around him would agree, nodding their heads enthusiastically. Only Ryoma would give off a 'che' and snuggle into a corner. Yet, as he pulled down his cap, pride radiated from his face. Momo once chanced upon his notebook. It was just a simple single-lined one, plain and indifferent from any other. But, when he opened it and set his eyes on the only words that lay inside, he grinned. That somehow showed the bond of agreement.

'BE SEIGAKU'S TENNIS TEAM'S PILLAR OF SUPPORT!'

* * *

Ryoma never liked to drink milk. To him, it was something white, something from a cow, something that pretty much ruined his morning everyday. And the routine of having to drink milk was all thanks to Inui. Three bottles at that! But somehow, Ryoma followed his menu daily without fail. When Momo picked Ryoma up, he would find the skin around his mouth dampened with the fresh scent of milk. Maybe it was because Ryoma knew how much effort Inui put in to make that menu, or maybe it was because he had great respect for Inui. Maybe, just maybe.

* * *

Ryoma was not exactly close to Fuji. He looked upon Fuji as a creepy sempai, one that smiled all day long, one that loved weird food. He was distant to him, so long he minded his own business, and he would mind his. Come to think of it, Momo has never seen Fuji and Ryoma battle it out before. How would it seem? Momo got his answer one rainy day. They fought, hard, as the rain slipped all around them. People often said that nobody, no one can go against fate. Ryoma and Fuji proved them wrong, halfway though. Fight they did, but Sumire sensei stopped it. Since then, Momo realized Ryoma was different towards Fuji.

The camera was considered to be a dangerous thing to be around Ryoma. Each click sent Ryoma walking away. It was frightening to know such a machine could be the source of the heavy media tracking him down. One day the Seigaku regulars went up to the mountain to see the sunrise. As the sun set and the orange colors got darker by the moment, the light reflected off his golden eyes, softening each touch.

"Sa, Ryoma, turn around, I want to take your picture!" Fuji called out.

To Momo's surprise, and the utter despair of all the fan girls out there who had tried so hard to clamor after a single picture of his, Ryoma did turn around. Smiling at that. That single smile stole everybody's breath away. It was innocent, it was sweet, it was perfect.

* * *

Kawamura got along fairly well with Ryoma. He, Momo, Eiji and Ryoma often went for after practice burger feasts together. Seigaku tennis team had this tradition of going over to Kawamura's sushi restaurant to celebrate. Actually, it wasn't Kawamura's but his dad. Never mind about that. Everybody would just start fighting for sushi and placing their orders at once. They would shout words of thanks and exclaim how nice it was. Ryoma was the exception. He never praised Kawamura out loud or did anything to express his thanks. But Momo realized that there was this once, when Kawamura served Ryoma's sushi, Ryoma offered a small smile and said "Thanks… sempai." The light in Kawamura's eyes lit up immediately. Momo could tell right then, Ryoma was actually quite thoughtful. That single thanks lifted Kawamura's confidence to a whole new level. Ryoma too, seemed to chew his sushi more carefully, savoring each and every flavor.

* * *

Kaidou was one sempai who practically scared the guts out of everyone. But not for Ryoma. Ryoma would just glare back at him or ignore him straight. But surprisingly, they got on quite well. Maybe it was because both had the same quiet nature, the same seriousness and the same stubbornness. Kaidou was often told by Tezuka to find Ryoma when he wandered away. Kaidou would always flash a look of annoyance and slowly walk off. When he found Ryoma, he would just quote a single sentence, "Don't go walking off, lest you get lost." As Ryoma glanced at his retreating back, he would lower his head and grin.

Another time, when Momo did his warm-up exercises, Kaidou and Ryoma were having a match. As usual Ryoma won. But this time, Kaidou didn't walk away, angry at himself. Instead, he held out his hand which Ryoma didn't take. When Ryoma didn't shake it, everybody thought Kaidou was going to flare up. But Ryoma said, "I'll be waiting for a re-match."

* * *

For Oishi, he was a person who would worry too much and fuss over everybody. Something like a mother hen. Ryoma didn't like it when Oishi turned his attention to him. He found that there was no need to. He was an independent kid who didn't need anybody's help. Oishi didn't get on Ryoma's nerves as much as Eiji did, but he was still disturbed. Momo thought that if one day, Oishi annoyed Ryoma to the extent that the silent volcano would erupt, he would seriously get hurt. But Momo was wrong. One day he chanced upon Oishi giving Ryoma advice. As usual Ryoma just waved his comments away. Oishi walked off, looking dejected. Momo was shocked when he saw Ryoma giving a little bow. It was called respect.

* * *

Eiji wasn't afraid of Ryoma. He even thought of him as this little brother who was just so extremely adorable. Often Eiji would cuddle him like a big teddy bear. Ryoma would struggle, kick and complain just to get released. It was a pain in the ass, Momo figured. But somehow, Ryoma looked smaller in Eiji's slender arms. It seemed… as if he returned to his childhood years. Even though Ryoma often looked disturbed and disliked it, slowly, his facial expression would change, it would become less tense and Ryoma would start to pout childishly. He looked cute. Just like this little boy who still haven't grew up.

* * *

That's. How Momo knew Ryoma to be a person who different personalities. That's. How Momo said that Ryoma was a person who followed the term 'Appearance versus Reality'. That's. How Ryoma came to be a Pandora's Box in Momo's eye.

That was what made Ryoma so special. That was how Ryoma came to be so precious to everyone.

That was why; Ryoma was his very best friend.

* * *

The usual routine, shoot me with comments. (:

Sorry for any mistakes or errors.


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